1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medical system, and more particularly to a medical system capable of displaying a virtual display screen in the air.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, with the development in technology, more varieties of medical devices have appeared, and functions of the medical devices have been enhanced. In addition to such medical devices, various kinds of equipment such as room lights, various kinds of display apparatuses, an endoscope that picks up a medical image, a recording apparatus, and the like are arranged in a surgery room.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 7-231896 discloses an endoscopic surgery system including a centralized control apparatus (system controller) that performs centralized control of various kinds of medical devices including the above-described apparatuses by communication.
In the centralized control apparatus in the endoscopic surgery system of this type, it is common to set or change parameters, etc., of devices to be controlled by using an operation panel configured by what is called a touch panel, and it is desirable that the operation of the operation panel is performed by a surgeon by himself or herself who is in a sterilized area.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-040613, a gesture apparatus is known as an input apparatus that can be used also in the sterilized area. In addition, in recent years, a technology of displaying a display as a virtual image in the air is proposed in WO 2009/131128.
Combination of the technology disclosed in the above-described Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-040613 and the technology (technology of showing a virtual display in the air) disclosed in WO 2009/131128 allows a virtual aerial display having a GUI function which is almost the same as that of a touch panel to be shown in a predetermined spatial position in a surgery room.
The virtual aerial display provided with the GUI (graphical user interface) function does not require a physical contact with the input operation screen due to the principle thereof, that is, the principle that the aerial display is a virtual image shown in a space. Therefore, implementation of such showing of the aerial display enables the surgeon to perform input operation also in the sterilized area.
Furthermore, the aerial display is shown at an arbitrary timing, thereby capable of preventing the field of view from being interfered with the operation panel.